Featured

Inspired by the works of Arthur C. Clarke, J.G. Ballard and Philip K. Dick, Infinite Summer sees Michael Lovett’s NZCA Lines “marry sci-fi futurism to personal intimacies” to produce what must surely be one of the funkiest apocalyptic concept albums of all time. Indeed, also featuring former Ash guitarist Charlotte Hatherley and drummer Sarah Jones (Hot Chip, New Young Pony Club), the follow-up to 2012’s self-titled debut may center on […]

Named after a term used for trained assassins he heard in a documentary on espionage, Skilled Mechanics sees trip-hop trailblazer Tricky assemble his own killer team for the most collaborative studio effort of his lengthy career. Some of those on board are no stranger to the world of Adrian Thaws, including regular vocalist Francesca Belmonte who lends her sultry tones to the eerie synth-balladry of “We Begin,” drummer Luke Harris […]

As you’d expect from a founding member of studious classical-electro outfit Clean Bandit, British-Ugandan vocalist/rapper Love Ssega certainly isn’t short on brainpower. Born and raised in South London, the 24-year-old graduated from Cambridge University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, then made the brave decision to quit the aforementioned Grammy winners to finish his Ph.D. in laser sensing. Love Ssega (real name Ssegawa-Ssekintu Kiwanuka) is just as cultured as he […]

Judging by all the pre-release talk of shunning EDM, steering dance music back into a proper direction and making a piece of art, you’d expect Steve Angello’s second solo LP, Wild Youth, to be something of a game-changer. So it’s slightly baffling to hear that the Stockholm DJ has delivered the kind of unadventurous, generic and largely forgettable record he appears to be rallying against. Indeed, featuring guest appearances from […]

David Bowie, arguably one of the most influential figures in modern music for the past 40-plus years, died on Sunday, Jan. 10 after a battle with cancer. He was 69. While previous rumors of his death in years past were greatly exaggerated, the news has been confirmed by Bowie’s representatives and his son Duncan Jones (via Twitter). The following statement appears on Bowie’s official Facebook page: “David Bowie died peacefully […]

So after crowning Jamie xx’s “Loud Places” and Bob Moses’ Days Gone By as the greatest single and album of 2015 respectively, we now switch our attention to what we can expect to hear over the next twelve months in the world of dance/electronica. The first big album out of the blocks this year is Moth (Jan 22), the third album from alt-pop duo Chairlift, which judging by its first […]

Music Industry

David Bowie, arguably one of the most influential figures in modern music for the past 40-plus years, died on Sunday, Jan. 10 after a battle with cancer. He was 69. While previous rumors of his death in years past were greatly exaggerated, the news has been confirmed by Bowie’s representatives and his son Duncan Jones (via Twitter). The following statement appears on Bowie’s official Facebook page: “David Bowie died peacefully […]

Scott Weiland, who rose to fame as the lead vocalist for grunge-rock band Stone Temple Pilots and supergroup Velvet Revolver, has died, according to multiple sources. He was 48. Weiland had been touring with his current band, the Wildabouts, when as TMZ reports, he was found dead on the tour bus at around 9pm on Thursday. An official statement was posted last night on Weiland’s Instagram account: “Scott Weiland, best […]

Iconic bassist Chris Squire, who co-founded rock band Yes with former lead vocalist Jon Anderson in 1968, passed away over the weekend. He was 67. The band confirmed the news with a statement on their official Facebook page: “It’s with the heaviest of hearts and unbearable sadness that we must inform you of the passing of our dear friend and Yes co-founder, Chris Squire,” the statement read. “Chris peacefully passed […]

The King of Blues is gone. After an iconic career spanning nearly seven decades that influenced countless musicians after him, B.B. King passed away peacefully in his sleep on Thursday evening at his home in Las Vegas. He was 89 years old. Raised in poverty in the Mississippi cotton fields, Riley B. King learned to sing in church, and reportedly learned to play guitar from a great uncle. His signature […]

R&B legend Ben E. King, best known for his early ’60s hit “Stand By Me,” passed away Thursday at the age of 76, according to the singer’s publicist. The exact cause of death has not been released at press time. King got his start in music in the 1950s singing with a doo-wop group called the Five Crowns, but rose to fame when George Treadwell hired him, along with several […]

We’ve all heard his signature voice singing his signature song. On April 14, soul singer Percy Sledge—best known for his 60s smash hit “When a Man Loves a Woman”—passed away in his home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, after a battle with liver cancer. He was 74. His was the storybook tale of an artist being discovered. Growing up in Leighton, Alabama, Sledge grew up working in the cotton fields, then […]

After months (nay, years) of controversy swirling around “Blurred Lines,” the 2013 hit song by Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams, a jury decided yesterday that the song constitutes copyright infringement, and awarded a restitution of nearly $7.4 million to the estate of Marvin Gaye, according to Billboard. The family of the late R&B singer has long claimed that “Blurred Lines” is effectively a rip-off of Gaye’s 1977 song “Got To […]

A whole week dedicated to paying tribute to all-girl acts? I’m in. For this entire week, March 2-6, Billboard Magazine has been featuring its second annual Girl Group Week, which officially makes it a “thing.” (If something happens more than once, it’s a thing. I just made that rule up, but whatever.) In fact, they’ve got a poll where you can vote for your favorites—and since the poll closes today, […]

If you’ve paid any attention to Madonna’s actions over the past several years (and more intensely in the past few months), one thing seems pretty apparent: this is a woman who doesn’t want to get old. Or at least, doesn’t want to be seen as such. May it please the court—we present the following as evidence: Her ripping of Lady Gaga (“She’s not me!”) in 2012 for the apparent similarities […]

It was a night that bore an interesting resemblance to the Adele Grammy sweep three years ago. A relatively unknown Brit singer/songwriter breaks up with a dude, writes songs to process the pain, makes a record that sells a bajillion copies, and goes on to win top honors at the Grammy Awards. Biggest differences: the singer/songwriter in this case also happens to be a dude; and unlike Adele, this was […]

As the 57th Grammy Awards prepare to get underway this weekend, the time has come for us pundits, critics and analysts to weigh in with predictions on the winners. (Because, of course, none of us can wait a mere 2-3 days to find out who find out who actually wins before talking about it. Besides, the Super Bowl is over, people are tired of talking about Katy Perry and her, […]

“Good artists copy; great artists steal.” –attributed to Pablo Picasso It’s all over the music news sites this week: Chart-topping pop artist Sam Smith settled amicably out of court with rock icon Tom Petty over alleged music plagiarism, agreeing to share partial writing credit with Petty for the hit song “Stay With Me?” Why? Simple: the chorus (sort of) sounds like it was borrowed from Petty’s tune “Won’t Back […]

In case you weren’t paying attention, the Grammy nominations were an all-day affair yesterday. It started with the announcing of four major categories on CBS This Morning by Ed Sheeran and Pharrell Williams, followed by a trickle of announcements via Twitter throughout the morning and early afternoon—culminating in a Christmas-themed prime-time special, A Very Grammy Christmas, during which the Album of the Year nominees were revealed. In my humble opinion, […]

A year and a half after Robin Thicke’s release of “Blurred Lines,” the song is still generating heaps of controversy. In what may easily become the most memorable copyright infringement lawsuit in recent memory, a judge in California has effectively handed Round One to the family of Marvin Gaye. As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, U.S. District Court Judge John Kronstadt has denied the motion by Thicke (and fellow songwriter/producer […]

Well, I guess we have to give the guy credit for his honesty. Even if it does come a little late. And under oath. “Blurred Lines,” the breakout summer hit of 2013 by R&B singer Robin Thicke and producer Pharrell, has been nothing if not controversial—and the controversy only continues. First, there was the nudie video that got banned from YouTube, but still accomplished its purpose of generating interest. Then, […]